Agenda Departments

Agenda

Academy of Music Historic Tour

Feb. 24: The Academy of Music will offer a free tour of the historic theater at 5:15 p.m. Led by Academy of Music Development Coordinator Kathryn Slater, the tour will provide insight into the history behind this Northampton mainstay, including details about the organization’s founder and interesting notes about the many revitalizations. Built in 1891, the Academy of Music was the first municipally owned theater in the U.S., and home to the first stock theater company in the nation, the Northampton Players, formed in 1912. For nearly 125 years, the Academy has hosted an impressive array of performers, and the building holds the tales. See for yourself the century-old hole cut in the stage floor for Houdini’s disappearing act; Cole Porter’s grandfather clock; dressing rooms used by Sarah Bernhardt, Boris Karloff, Ethel Barrymore; and more. Step on the stage and see the Academy of Music from a whole new perspective, and take in the results of the 2014 restoration that refurbished the 800-seat auditorium, which earned a Mass. Historical Commission Preservation Award. This walking-and-talking tour begins promptly at 5:15 p.m. in the main lobby and is expected to run approximately 45 minutes. Admission is free, but reservations are required, as attendance is limited to 20. Reservations may be made through the Academy of Music Box Office by calling (413) 584-9032, ext. 105, Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., or by e-mailing [email protected].

Management Conference

March 10: The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced its 12th annual Management Conference will be held at the Springfield Marriott, with a focus on driving business performance. The full-day conference will address how managers and supervisors can create a culture of alignment, agility, and engagement to improve organizational performance. “Research shows that 60% of highly engaged employees report that their work is not aligned with company goals,” said Meredith Wise, EANE president. “By aligning employees to business priorities and equipping them with skills to quickly sense and lead change, companies can improve their organizational performance. Our conference is about managers and supervisors learning how alignment, agility, and engagement contribute to corporate performance.” The program will feature Bruce Tulgan, an expert on leadership and management. He is the bestselling author of It’s Okay to Be the Boss, Managing Generation X, and his newest book, Bridging the Soft Skills Gap. The conference also includes breakout sessions, a presentation on “Building a Leadership Culture of Innovation and Energy” with Rich Trombetta of Innovation Is Easy, and an improv workshop by ConnectAnd about connecting your leadership to your team. The cost for the program is $325 per person, with discounts for three or more. Register and learn more at eane.org/12th-annual-management-conference or call (877) 662-6444. The program will offer 6.75 credits from the HR Certification Institute. Sponsoring the program are Johnson and Hill Staffing and the Human Resource Certification Institute.

 

Celebrate Springfield Dinner

March 10: DevelopSpringfield will host its fifth annual Celebrate Springfield dinner event in celebration of the many accomplishments the community has achieved over the past year along with exciting new initiatives underway. The event will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Festivities will include a reception with live music by the Eric Bascom Trio, auction activities, a cash bar, and hors d’oeuvres, followed by dinner, a brief program, and award presentations. The platinum sponsor this year is MassMutual Financial Group. Many other local businesses and organizations are also supporting the event as sponsors and participants. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. DevelopSpringfield will once again present its Partner in Progress Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of three individuals toward revitalization in Springfield. Honorees are selected for their leadership and ability to motivate and inspire others. This year’s honorees are Brian Connors, Springfield’s deputy director of Economic Development; Maureen Hayes, president of Hayes Development Services; and Ira Rubenzahl, president of Springfield Technical Community College. In addition to the program and award presentations, greetings will be provided by Mayor Domenic Sarno followed by Jay Ash, secretary of the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Jill Monson-Bishop of Inspired Marketing will serve as mistress of ceremonies. The celebration is a benefit event; all proceeds will support DevelopSpringfield’s redevelopment initiatives, projects, and programs. More than 500 attendees, including state and city officials, leaders from the business and nonprofit communities, and local residents, are expected to come together in support of ongoing efforts to advance development and redevelopment projects, to stimulate and support economic growth, and to expedite the revitalization process within the city. Tickets are $100 per person. Registration and sponsorship information is available at www.developspringfield.com or by contacting Paige Thayer at (413) 209-8808 or [email protected]. RSVP by Tuesday, Feb. 23.

 

Springfield Falcons Dr. Seuss Night

March 12: The Springfield Falcons, in partnership with the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, announced Dr. Seuss Night, to be held during a game against the Portland Pirates starting at 7 p.m. Dr. Seuss Night and the game will be sponsored by Berkshire Bank. For the first time ever, Dr. Seuss Enterprises has partnered with the Falcons and the Springfield Museums in presenting this special night to honor Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, who was born and raised in Springfield. The Springfield Museums are preparing to open the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in 2016, an exhibit featuring interactive activities for children and a one-of-a-kind experience that will provide a look at the man behind the drawing board. “We are excited to partner with the Springfield Museums and Dr. Seuss Enterprises in presenting this special night to honor one of Springfield’s most famous native sons,” Falcons President Sarah Pompea said. The night will include appearances by the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2 costumed characters. In addition, specialty jerseys will be worn by Falcons players and auctioned off, with proceeds donated to the Springfield Museums to help support the creation of the new museum. “We are thrilled that the Falcons are stepping up in support of our fund-raising campaign,” said Kay Simpson, president of the Springfield Museums. “It’s wonderful to have the support of one our best downtown neighbors.”

 

Difference Makers

March 31: The eighth annual Difference Makers award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House. Tickets cost $60, and tables of 10 are available. To reserve a spot, call (413) 781-8600, ext. 10, or visit businesswest.com. Difference Makers is a program, launched in 2009, that recognizes groups and individuals that are, as the name suggests, making a difference in this region. This year’s class was profiled in the Jan. 25 issue, and their stories can also be read online HERE. They include Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr.; Mike Balise, Balise Motor Sales, philanthropist (1965-2015); Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties; Bay Path University President Carol Leary; and John Robison, president, J.E. Robison Service. Difference Makers is sponsored by EMA Dental, First American Insurance Agency, Health New England, Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C., Northwestern Mutual, PeoplesBank, Royal LLP, and Sunshine Village.

 

‘A Night of Passion’ for Link to Libraries

April 5: They’re calling the event “A Night of Passion.” That’s a phrase that applies to both support for efforts to promote childhood literacy and a fondness for a particular food or beverage. These various passions will come together at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke at Link to Libraries’ biennial fund-raising event. More than 500 people are expected to attend the event, which will be a celebration of all that Link to Libraries has accomplished since it was created in 2008 — including the donation of nearly 500,000 books to area schools and organizations — and how it intends to continually expand its mission in the years to come. As for those passions for specific foods and drinks, they will be a focus of the night, provided by a host of area celebrities and business leaders, including Mike Mathis, MGM Springfield president and chief operating officer; Kevin Rhodes, Springfield Symphony Orchestra conductor; Spiros Hatiras, Holyoke Medical Center president and CEO; Delcie Bean IV, CEO of Paragus Strategic IT; Mick Corduff, executive chef and co-owner of the Log Cabin; Amy Royal, founding partner of Royal, P.C., and many more. As for their passions, well, those are carefully guarded secrets at this point. Those who would like to experience these passions and support Link to Libraries — which supplies books to schools and other organizations across Western Mass. and Northern Conn., and promotes read-alouds that put area business and civic leaders in area classrooms — can buy tickets for $40 each by sending checks to: Link to Libraries, Attn. Karen Blinderman, P.O. Box 958, West Springfield, MA 01090. Sponsors for “A Night of Passion” include lead sponsors Health New England and Rediker Software, and event sponsors Bacon Wilson, Bank of America – U.S. Trust, the Frank Stanley Beveridge Foundation, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, James Vinick and Moors & Cabot Investments, Monson Savings Bank, PeoplesBank, Peoples United Bank, the Springfield Falcons, and United Bank.

 

 

Not Just Business as Usual

April 14: The Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) Foundation’s Not Just Business as Usual (NJBAU) event, a networking event for business leaders in Western Mass., will be held at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The event, now in its seventh year, is a celebration of innovative thinking giving participants the opportunity to learn from business experts while raising significant funding for the STCC WORKS scholarship program. A cocktail and networking reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with dinner and keynote speakers to follow from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This year, NJBAU will host a discussion of diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields with panelists Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs; Laurie Leshin, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and Frank Robinson, vice president of Public Health and Community Relations for Baystate Health. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are now available. Tickets are $175 each, and sponsorships begin at $2,500 for a table for 10. For additional information or to become a sponsor, contact Christina Tuohey, STCC’s director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at (413) 755-4475 or [email protected]. To purchase tickets online, visit www.stcc.edu/njbau.

 

5K Run & Walk for a Noble Cause

April 30: Registration is now open for Baystate Noble Hospital’s 32nd annual 5K Run & Walk for a Noble Cause, being held at Stanley Park in Westfield. The race begins at 9 a.m., with registration from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. near the Children’s Pavilion. The Baystate Noble 5K is a competitive road race for all levels of runners, from the novice to the serious athlete. The 3.1-mile course is flat out and back through Stanley Park and the surrounding residential area. A family-friendly, non-competitive walk follows the same route as the road race. Individuals, teams, wheelchair racers, and school groups are all encouraged to participate. After the race, refreshments, activities, and vendor tables will be located near registration, and awards will be given out. Early registration is encouraged. The registration fee for ages 13-59 is $35 through April 29 (seniors 60 and older are $25). The registration fee for ages 13-59 is $40 on April 30 ($30 for seniors). Children 12 and under participate free when accompanied by a paying adult. T-shirts in various sizes are available to registrants on a first-come, first-served basis while inventory is available. To register online, download registration materials, and read general information, visit baystatenoblehospital.org/5k.

 

40 Under Forty

June 16: The 10th annual 40 Under Forty award program, staged by BusinessWest, will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke, honoring 40 of the region’s rising stars under 40 years old. Nominations are now closed, and an independent panel of judges will choose the winners; their stories will be told in the April 18 issue. The event is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and Paragus Strategic IT (presenting sponsors), EMA Dental, Health New England, Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, Moriarty & Primack, and United Bank. More details on the gala will be revealed in upcoming issues.